Attachments
FAO - Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP)
Locusts and Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases Team (NSPMD)
Situation level: DANGER in Afghanistan and Tajikistan (DMA)
Situation level: CAUTIN in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (DMA)
Situation level: CALM elsewhere or for the other locust pests
General Situation during April 2023
Forecast for May 2023
Moroccan Locust (DMA) hatching and hopper development was in progress in all Central Asian (CA) countries as well as in Azerbaijan and in Georgia. Critical situation in several north and north-east provinces of Afghanistan and south of Tajikistan was reported. Italian Locust (CIT) hatching had been recorded only in southern Kazakhstan at the end of April. In the forecast period, DMA hatching will start in the Russian Federation and hopper development will continue in Caucasus while fledging and mating will occur in CA countries.
CIT hatching will start in all Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) countries. Migratory Locust (LMI) hatching may start in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, southern Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan at the end of the forecast period. In total, 283 969 ha have been treated in CCA countries from the start of the 2023 campaign, which is twice higher compared to 2022 at the same period (138 000 ha).
Caucasus. DMA hatching started at the end of April in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Central Asia. DMA hopper development was in progress in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. According to received reports, 258 249 ha of DMA infested areas were treated in April, in all CA countries, which is 90% higher than in 2022 (134 979 ha). A critical situation with DMA was reported in Afghanistan, due to low treatments in 2022 and presumably also in 2023 with related population increase, and in Tajikistan with the risk of locust invading crops due to drought, mainly in the southern part of the country.